News

Milestones

Allan and Deborah Jacobs of Oxford are proud to announce the engagement of their son, Stephen Jacobs, to Stephanie Bowles, daughter of Phil and Erica Bowles of Ortonville, and Jeaninne and Dave Kulon of Clarkston.

The bride-to-be and groom-to-be are 2004 graduates of Brandon High School. A September 2010 wedding is planned.

Academics

Andrew Burch graduated May 8 from Saginaw Valley State University with a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice. He had a minor in political science and made the dean's list his last three semesters.

The 2005 Brandon High School graduate is considering the military to continue his education and pursue a law degree. Burch is the son of John and Monette Burch of Brandon Township.

Carly Goerke was named to the dean's list at Michigan State University for the spring semester.

The 2008 Goodrich High School graduate is a sophomore at MSU majoring in childhood development and is also a member of the MSU Marching Band Color Guard. She is the daughter of Cindy and Carl Goerke of Hadley Township.

Jonathan S. Sheperd will graduate on May 23 as the valedictorian in a class of 161 from Notre Dame Preparatory and Marist Academy.

Sheperd has a 4.5 GPA and will attend the University of Notre Dame. The National Merit Finalist Scholarship Award winner plans on majoring in mathematics and physics. He was also named a Reilly Scholar at the University of Notre Dame and has been accepted to study in the prestigious Glynn Family Honors Program.

Sheperd is the son of Angie and Ken Sheperd of Brandon Township and attends St. Anne Catholic Church, Ortonville.

Achievement

Lauren Smyth and Samantha Livo grew more than a garden this year. They helped the local Girl Scout Association grow, as well.

Smyth, an 18-year-old Brandon High School senior, and Livo, a 17-year-old Holly High School senior, managed a garden that fed more than 700 people in the Ortonville and Holly communities. The girls recently earned the GSA Gold Award: the highest Girl Scout award available to 14- to 18-year-olds.

"We have been the only girls in the history of Ortonville to receive this award," Smyth said.

The girls' project began in April of last year and utilized Wojo's Greenhouse, as well as the Ortonville Community Emergency Fund and OLSHA, a Holly senior center.

Smyth and Livo, along with their supporters, worked more than 200 hours on this project.

"But it was worth it, in the end, because we had a significant positive impact on the local community," Smyth said.